![](https://assets.weforum.org/article/image/N08pI1WTudXMbeslh1F_2RFmpKJ0kfAF2WNFHAYCgzw.jpg)
The mysterious alien cigar ‘asteroid’ is actually an interstellar lump of ice
Our first interstellar visitor has been proven to actually be an icy body covered in a protective crust of organic chemicals.
I am an astronomer in the QUB Astrophysics Research Centre. My primary research interests are in performing observations of minor bodies in our solar system, comets and asteroids. These studies are generally based on observations performed on the UK supported telescopes in the Canary Islands (ING) and Chile ( ESO). For an idea of what these telescopes look like, here\'s a picture of me next to the Anglo-Australian Telescope (I had more hair then). I am also a member of the WASP consortium which has built and operates the SuperWASP facility on La Palma, and the UK Pan-STARRS Science Consortium.